John Whinnerah Institute

The former John Whinnerah Institute building is located by the junction of Abbey Road and Hindpool Road in Barrow-in-Furness. The Art Deco style building was built as an educational institute for women, with gate piers and rear cycle shed. Building began in 1937 and the Institute opened on the 27th October 1938. The building now forms part of Hindpool Retail Park. The old Institute building is Grade II listed on the National Heritage List for England.

"The Institute housed the Barrow Women's Institute [founded in 1925] and Junior Instruction Centre which had been in temporary premises. The 1934 Unemployment Act resulted in the building of instruction centres for girls leaving school [at 14] and unable to find employment. The description of the building at the opening includes: general classroom, craft rooms, domestic science rooms with larders and stores, changing room with shower bath compartment, headmistresses' rooms, offices, library, cloakrooms and cycle shed. Heating was by low pressure hot water, lighting by electricity with flush type ceiling fittings, cooking and domestic services by gas and electricity. John Whinnerah was a member of Barrow Council from 1913 and chairman of Barrow Education Committee from 1924 to 1934, the year of his death. The building was described by the President of the National Union of Teachers, as 'the finest Women's Institute in this country'. A well-designed building that represents the efforts made between 1918 and 1939 to improve education and living standards for young people and women from the poorest areas of major industrial areas." (Historic England)